Heel attaching machines



June 14, 1960 B. J. M. MURPHY 2,940,082

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Filed NOV. 4, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z 4 Z I l //2 H, 92 6 23/ {fl 74 (/104 [16 ILIJIJ 720 Inventor By his A zlorrzey Q LZPM...

Brian JMMurphy June 14, 1960 B. J. M. MURPHY HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 4, 1958 June 14, 1960 B. J. M. MURPHY HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 4, 1958 June 14, 1960 a. J. M. MURPHY 2,940,082

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Filed Nov. 4. 195a 4v Sheets-Sheet 4 l-iEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Brian JulianMaur-ice Murphy, Leicester, England, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, NJ., and Boston, Mass., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Nov. 4, 1958, Ser. No. 771,773

Claims priority, application Great Britain Nov. 30, 1957 11 Claims. (Cl. 1-137) This invention relates to heel attaching machines and more particularly to an improved jack for use in such machines, said jack being illustrated herein as incorporated in a heel attaching machine of the so-called push on type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,480,905, granted September 6, 1949 on an application filed in the names of Thomas B. Clarke et al. The machine may be provided with improvements such as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,524,120, granted October 3, 1950 on an application also filed in the name of Thomas B. Clarke.

The present jack is designed for use with geometrically graded lasts such as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,806,233, granted September 17, 1957 on an application filed in the names of Arthur R. Hubbard et a1.

A steel positioning plate of the last disclosed in said Patent No. 2,806,233 is secured to and constitutes the upper portion of the back cone of the last and has formed on it a pair of shoulders which are arranged respectively at opposite sides of the positioning plate at equal distances from the heightwise median plane of the heel seat portion of the last. The jack, which is provided with a spindle adapted to receive a thimble extending through the positioning plate and into the back cone of the last, is provided with lugs arranged to be engaged by the shoulders of the positioning plate of the last whereby to orient the last on the jack with the heightwise or vertical median plane of its heel seat arranged in a fixed vertical plane of the machine irrespective of whether the last is a right or a left.

It has been found convenient to apply to lasts of difierent sizes, positioning plates which are of uniform shape and size and are adapted to lie respectively on the crown or upper faces of the back cones of the lasts Without projecting beyond the peripheries of said upper faces. It will be appreciated that the greater the size of the last the smaller will be the proportion of the area of the upper or crown face of the wood last covered by the steel positioning plate. The positioning plate serves as a pressure transmitting member for the application of presnited, States Patent sure normal to the crown face of the back cone of the last during the heel attaching operation and accordingly such pressure may impart to the last compression or other forces of such magnitude as to result in the appreciable deformation of the last and in many cases the actual crushing of said last. It will be noted, however, that the larger the size of the last to which a positioned plate has been applied, the greater the pressure which must be exerted on the last during the heel attaching operation and accordingly the greater the tendency for the plate to be partially embedded into the back cone of the last thereby altering the shape of said last. Where the posi "ice tioning plate is to be relied upon for an accurate presenta-; tion of the shoe to the heel attaching machine it is essential that the positioning of the plate shall remain undisturbed with relation to the remainder of the last and, therefore, the last should be safeguarded insofar as pos sible against any substantial amount of deformation.

It is an object of the present invention to minimize the tendency of the back cone of a last such, for example, as the geometrically graded last above referred to, to .become deformed when submitted to relatively heavy pressures during the heel attaching or other shoemaking operations especially when the pressures are applied against and heightwise of the back cone of the last.

With the above and other objects in view the illustrative heel attaching machine comprises a support for a heel, a jack, means for effecting relative movement of approach between the support and the jack to cause the heel and the heel seat of a shoe on the last mounted upon the jack to be forced together, said jack comprising an abutment which is adapted to be engaged between the upper,face of the back cone of the last and a pair of side clamps which are movable with relation to said abutment and are adapted to be forced against opposite sides of the back cone of thelast and to cooperate with the abutment in the clamping of the heel seat of the shoe against the heel whereby to distribute the pressure imparted to the last.

1n the illustrative machine the side clamps comprisea pair of movable pad members operated by fluid pressure means and adapted to bear inwardly and downwardly against opposite sides of the back cone of the last and to exert simultaneously, against said opposite sides, clamping pressure reacting to a relatively heavy thrust which is exerted heightwise of the last as the heel is being pressed against the shoe during the heel attaching operation as explained in said'Patent No. 2,480,905.

It will be appreciated that the shoe on the last is also held against action of drivers which force the nails into the heel seat of the shoe and clench said nails against a heel plate of the last in accordance with a first cycle of the machine disclosed in said Patents No. 2,480,905 and 2,524,120. By providing side clamps such as above referred to the heightwise load that is imposed upon the back cone of the last is distributed between the positioning plate and the pad members thereby reducing the danger of the last becoming unduly deformed or crushed as the nails are being driven into the heel seat of the shoe and during the time that the heel is being attached to the shoe by pushing it onto the nails and against said heel seat.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a particularly convenient and reliable means for insuring that the last, which is provided with the positioning plate, shall be held securely in suspended relation in the machine upon the jack as said jack moves between a loading and unloading station or position and an operating station or position. With this object in view, the jack of the illustrative machine is mounted for pivotal movement between said stations, the rear end of the jack being formed with the abutment against which the positioning plate of the last can be "brought to bear, said jack having associated with it mean including a releasable locking member to effect, as' the jack is swung from its loading and unloading position to its operating station, locking engagement with a portion of the positioning plate, said locking member being moved away from said positioning plate of the last as the jack I is v swung from its operating stationto its loading and unloading station whereby to release the last from the 'ack. J The present invention consists in the above novel fea tures and in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration, said invention being fully disclosedin: the following description and claims.

' In the drawings, 7 Fig. ,1 is a front view 'of a jack portion of the illustrativc machine with various parts of said jack portion in positions that they occupy when the machine is at rest; Fig. 21 is a view similar to Fig. 1, partly in section on theiline -I III of Fig. 4, showing the various parts of the; jack in the positions they occupy during a pressure stage of the cycle of operation of the illustrative machine; Fig. 3 is. a side view of the jack portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1, said jack portion being in a loading and unloading position or station;

Fig. 4 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section on, the line IV--IV" of Fig. 2, showing the jack portion of the machine in its attaching station or position; Fig. 5 shows in side elevation an alternative form of mount for a' last supporting block forming part of the jack of the illustrative machine;

' 'Fig: 6 is a plan view of the mount shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a front view, partly in section, of a portion of. the above-mentioned illustrative machine which is disclosed in said Patent No. 2,480,905 and has been provided with the present jack; and V Fig, 8 shows portions of hydraulic mechanism for depressing the jack with preliminary pressure.

'As' above explained the illustrative machine, except for ally similar to the machines disclosed in the above-mening shank 3 which, during the operation of the machine,

. are arranged over a plunger 15, said; plunger being raised twice during the operation of themac'hine under heavy wardly under the action ofhydraulic'poweronto the nailing die 3, there being meansforclamping at this stage 7 the heel H in a pricking position upon the support 5.

Upon further depression of the treadle the-machi-ne is tripped to allow power to cause nails in the passages of the nailing die 3 to be" driven part-way into the heel seat of the shoe while at the same time the pricking unit 11 is arranged to prick' holes in the heel H mounted upon the support 5. The. treadle is then released whereupon the carriage '7 is displaced laterally to the right 7 (Fig. 7).to move the support 5 and accordingly the tioned Patents 2,480,905 and 2,524,120 provided with hydraulic servo control similar to that described in British Patent No. 750,807. The machine organized as above referred to is a machine for inserting nails N part way into the heel seat of a shoe S as illustrated in Fig. 7 and for thereafter forcing, under relatively heavy pressure, I

' arepositioned respectively below a heel pricking unit 11 and a jack 6 of the heel attaching machine on the one hand and in which the support and the nailing die are positioned respectively beneath the jack and a foot plate 13 of nail distributing mechanism. As is explained in detail in said Patents 2,480,905 and 2,524,120, the heel H positioned and clamped in the support is picked by the pricking unit 11 at the same time that nails N in passages of the nailing die are driven into the heel seat of a shoe S mounted on the jack 6, the carriage then being moved to its position shown in Fig. 7 preparatory to lowering the jack. 6 to force the. nails N into the pricked heel, the support 5 then being raised to force the heel with heavy pressure against the heelseat of the shoe. The nailing die 3 is provided with aplurality of passages 3a in which are reciprocable drivers 3b secured to a driver head 3'c reciprocable in a guideway Sd'of a housing 32. The nailheel H into an attaching position below the ends of the nails N then projecting'downwardly from the heel seat of the shoe which has been raised, the nailing die 3 at the same time being displaced laterally intoa position to receive nails from the foot plate 13 of the nail distribut: ing unit. Upon tripping the machine again the jack 6 and accordingly the shoev S. is moved downward onto the pricked' Iheel to force the. nails pnojecting from the heel seat of the shoe into the heel, this action being followed almost immediately by the application of relatively heavy up-thruston thesupport and accordingly the heel. Since the. construction and operation of the machine is disclosed in detail in said Letter Patents Nos. 2,480,905 and'2,524,l20, British Patent 750,807 and various other patents referred to in the above-mentioned patents,-it is not believed that any further description of the machine as a whole will be necessary. It will be understood that the jack 6-may be used in other heel attaching machines, the machine referred to being mainly for purposes of illustration.

In the illustrative machine there is provided a vertically arranged plunger or operating' rod 2 (corresponding to the plunger C' disclosed in British Patent 23,031-of 1911 referred to in British Patent 750,807) the lower end of which plunger carries a multi-part guide plate 4 which serves to hold in suspended relation in the machine the last supporting and shoe pressing jack 6. The jack 6 is arranged to be shifted by hand from a loading and unloading or inactive position or station in which it lies forwardly inclined as illustrated in Fig. 3 to a vertical operating position or station as illustrated in Fig. 4, said jack in some respects being similar to the jack disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,262,778, granted April 16, 1918, upon an application filed in the name of Joseph Gouldbourn. To permit the above-mentioned swinging movement of the jack 6, said jack is pivotally connected at its upper end by a transversely disposed horizontal pin 8 (Figs. 3 and 4) to a slide 10 which is mounted for forward and-rearward rectilinear movement in guideways 12 extending along opposite sides of said multipart guide plate 4. In this way the jack 6' is arranged so thatit may be manually swung rearwardly on the slide 10 and thereafter slid rearwardly in a rectilinear. path together with the slide into the position shown in Fig. 4. Both the rearward swinging movement and the rectilinear rearward movements of the. jack 6 are guided by means of an arm 14 extending rearwardly of the jack'near its upper end, said arm carrying at its outer end a roller 16 which is adapted to ride within a stationary guide slot 18 having a curved portion 18a in which the roller is caused to ride during the swinging movement of the jack and a straight portion 18b: in which the roller-can ride as the jack is moved rectilinearly forward and rearward. While thus being moved forwardly in a rectilinear path the jack 6 moves against the action of a tension spring 20 (Fig. l) which is attached at its rear end to a stationary part of the machine and has its forward end attached to a pin 22 secured to and projecting laterally from a head portion 21 of the jack.

At the lower end of the jack 6 there is mounted a block or abutment 24 the underside of which provides a supporting surface for a crown or top face of the last L carrying the shoe S and comprising a last positioning plate 26 of the character described in said Patent No. 2,806,233. The block 24 has secured to and depending from it a last entering pin or spindle 23 and a pair of positioning members or lugs 30, 30 adapted to be engaged by a pair of positioning faces 31 of the plate 26 which serve to locate the last appropriately for the performance of heel end operation such, for example, as disclosed in said Patent No. 2,806,233.

Since the last L is to be held securely by the block 24 in suspended relation at the bottom of the jack 6 as and when the jack occupies positions ranging between an inactive or loading and unloading position (Fig. 3) and an active or operating position (Fig. 4) means now to be described are arranged for releasably locking the last upon the block 24. The last L is locked upon the block 24 by a locking member 32 (Figs. 3 and 4) which is pivotal] y mounted at 34 on the block 24' at a position near to where the heel end portion of the positioning plate 26 comes to lie when it is positioned on the block 24. The locking member 32 is formed with a nose portion 36 (Fig. 4) which, when said member is in the position shown in Fig. 4, is in forced engagement under the pressure of a spring 38 against a notch 40 in the rear edge of the positioning plate. Movement of the locking member 32 about its pivot 34 is arranged to take place under the action of a flexible cable 42 running within a multipart sheath 44 which at its lower end has an abutment portion 46 adapted to be engaged by one end of the spring 38 while the other end of the spring bears directly upon the member 32. The upper end portion of the sheath 44 is fitted into a depending arm 48 of a bell crank lever 59 which is carried pivotally at 52 on the swinging portion of the jack and has a forwardly extending arm 54. The flexible cable 42 is operatively connected at 56 to the locking member 32 while the upper end of the cable 42 extends beyond the sheath 44 and is operatively connected at 58 to the head portion of the jack.

When the jack 6 is in its loading and unloading position shown in Fig. 3, the arm 54 of the bell crank lever 50 engages the lower face of the multipart guide plate 4 and the cable 42 is maintained withdrawn from the upper end of the sheath 44 by an amount which causes the locking member 32 to hold its nose portion clear from engagement with the notch 40 in the positioning plate 26 when the operator first positions the last on the block 24. As the operator (while holding the last with its positioning plate 26 correctly seated against the block) swings the jack 6 rearwardly about the pivot pin 8 and before the jack attains its vertical position the jack (acting through its connection 58 with the cable 42) moves the cable 42 within the sheath 44 so that, under the action of the spring 38, the locking member 32 is rocked clockwise as viewed in Fig. 4 to bring its nose 36 into locking engagement with the notch 40 in the positioning plate 26 and thus holds the last securely in suspended relation at the foot of the jack 6. Conversely, when the jack 6 is being swung forwardly into its loading and unloading position shown in Fig. 3 the cable 42 acts upon the locking member 32 to draw on said member and rock the same counterclockwise from the locking position as viewed in Fig. 4 so that finally, when the jack has reached the loading and unloading position, the nose portion 36 is again held clear of the notch 40 in the plate 26, and the last L is thereby freed from the block 24.

When the jack 6 has been brought into the position shown in Fig.4 it is then situated in an operative position in substantially vertical alinement with the plunger 2 and in readiness for the operator to cause the machine to perform the sequence of operations hereinabove set forth. Considering now the construction of the'jack 6 in greater detail the block 24 forms a lower terminal component of an assembly comprising a lower support plate 69 to which is secured peripherally by screws 61 (Fig. 2) an inner peripheral lower portion of a casting 62 which is bored centrally and fits around the head portion 21 of the jack. The casting 62 is mounted around a body portion or plunger 64 of the head portion of the jack and as above explained is secured to the support plate 60 so as to allow its being moved heightwise relatively to said head portion 21 of the jack to a limited degree which is determined by a pin 68 (Fig. 4) extending inwardly of the casting and engaging a vertically arranged limiting groove 70 formed in the head portion 21 of the jack. The casting 62 is formed symmetrically on opposite sides of the axis of the head portion 21 of the jack and is shaped so as to provide a pair of laterally spaced apart cylindrical portions 72, 72 which form part of the casting 62 and are mutually inclined toward each other in a downward direction. Within a bore 73 of each cylindrical portion 72 there is mounted a piston 74 which at its lower projecting end is shaped as a ball stud 76. The upper end of each cylindrical portion 72 is closed by means of an end cap 78 from Whichthere extends inwardly aguide pin 80 for the piston 74 as it is moved longitudinally within the cylinder. Upon each of the ball studs 76 there is pivotally mounted, in universal joint fashion, a pad member 82 which is fitted With an external covering 84 of felt, leather or like soft material. The two pad members 82, 82 are arranged as hereinafter described either to occupy (together with the pistons 74, 74) retracted or inactive positions-as shown in Fig. l or to be moved into active work-engaging or projected positions as shown in Fig. 2 in which they bear inwardly and downwardly against the outwardly bulging side portions of the back cone of the last L.

The head portion 21 of the jack is provided with a central vertical bore 86 and a laterally communicating bore 88 the outer end of which is open to a port 90 leading from a valve containing block 92 which is secured to said head portion 21 of the jack. The block 92 is formed with a valve seat 94 with which cooperates a valve member or ball 96 which under the influence of a spring 98 is centrally urged toward said valve seat and is normally in engagement with said seat. Formed in the block 92 above the valve seat 94 is a laterally extending channel 1%)!) the outer end of which is arranged to be in open communication with one end of a flexible hose 102 which is connected :to the block 92 through a union nut connection 104. The lower end portion of the head portion 21 of the jack 6 is recessed to provide a shoulder 106 axially between which and the upper surface of the support plate 60 there is interposed a compression spring 108. Leading from each of two oppositely situated regions of the space or cavity 109 that intervenes the lower end of the head portion 21 of the jack and the plate 6% there is formed in the casting 62 a channel 110 which extends upwardly and is inclined so as to communicate with the head end of the respective bore 73. It will be appreciated, therefore, that by allowing fluid, oil for example under pressure, to enter and pass the ball 96 the fluid can thence have access through the bore 88 and through each of the channels 110 into the bores 73 above the respective pistons 74, 74 in said bores. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that fluid, when admitted into the bores 73, can be caused to act on the pistons 74 so as to depress said pistons and accordingly advance the two pad members 82 inwardly and down- .wardly with reference to the casting 62. The body portion of the plunger of the jack may be described as form- Patent 233,031- of 4911'. an arm 113 the rearward portion of which is pivotally the casting. 62, which includes the lower'suppbrt plate'60,. the: cavity 109 in'which the spring 1 08 is positioned;

r As heretoforeexplained, the illustrative machine is arranged during its initial stages of operation to operate connected to a'piston linkj 115 'operatively connected to apiston rod 117 operated by oil supplied to a cylinder (-notshown) by the above-mentioned pipe;

; Accordingly, it be assumed in the illustrative machine-thatthe: jack 6, has been brought into its operative posit-ion (with the last L and the shoe S supported thereon in the mannerhereinbefore described) and the aforesaid; pump 1435 is idling,-when the treadle (not shown) is depressed the plunger 2 follows it by means of the hydraulic servo-mechanism causing the work to be forced against the nailing'die 3 01' against the heel in the support 5. The spning108 is initially loaded or compressed atthe time that it is inserted in the machine and'is so chosen that, before it can be further compressed during 74, thus "moving the pad members 82 onto the sides of ithe shoe. Downward movement of the plunger 2 is then vresisted by the initial'compression in the'spring 108 and theoil pressure on the underside of the piston-like body v64. 7 (This is sufiicient resistance to cause the treadle lever to trip the machine.) At this stage no movement of the body portion 64 of the head portion 21 of the jack relatively to the casting 62 should have taken place.

When the machine is tripped, the plunger 2 is given a positive movement downwards. Some of this movement is taken upin compressing the last and shoe and in spring of the machine frame. The rest of the movementcauses a slight movement of the body portion 64 of the jack relatively to the casting 62 which results in compressing the spring 108' and in building up of oil pressure inside the casting 62 which-forces the pad members;82 hard onto the shoe and shuts the check valve 96. The next pant of the machine cycle is to apply an upward load to the underside of the last. This load is of the order of 5 tons and itis the effects of this loadwhich the pads. 82 assist in encountering. A load on the underside of the last is transmitted through the last to the pad members 8-2 and the block '24 to the casting 62 which will tend to move upward relatively to the body portion 64. This tendency will be resisted by the oil which is trapped in the casting 62 by the valve 96, and

so the oil pressure will rise to balance the load on the last bottom. 7 This oil pressure also acts on the tops of the pistons 74,fthus causing them to. share the vertical load with'the block 24 which contacts the top of the last.

(pressure in 'the hose 102 having been released)' said jack can be moved by the operator from. theoperating position shown in Fig. .4 to its; loading and. unloading position shown in: Fig. 3, outward swinging movement of the jack 6 causing the arm 540f the. bell crank lever 59 m press downwardly upon the upper end of. a plunger 112 in the valve block 92 so that the lower end ofthe plunger depresses the ball' 96 from its seat 94 with the result that the pad members 82 are retracted to their inactive positions under the action of springs 114. a The projecting and retractive movements of the pad members 8 2 are to some extent guided by means of strap members 116 lower ends of which are connected by screws 118 to the pad members and upper ends of, the strap members being bifurcated as best shown in Fig. 3 so as to ride past a guide pin mounting 120 secured to the respective cylinders 72. To safeguard against the building up of excessive pressure in the body 64. there is provided within the valve block 92 a pressure relief valve The block 24 which forms the lower terminal component of the jack 6 is mounted so as. to be capable of performing tilting movements freely fore and aft to a Theflshare depends on the relative diameters of the v pistons 74 and the body'portion 64 of the jack.

The amount of movement that is permitted for the body portion '64 of the jack relatively to the casting 62 isintendedto compensate for the slight downward shiftinggof thepistons- 74 in the casting 62 as increased pres- V sureiis applied against the oil in the cavity 109; The

groove70is'as shown (Fig. 4) so that, in case of'malfunetioning, the loadswill be; transmitted from the lower limited extent while being substantially incapable of movement in any other direction relatively to the jack. For. this purpose the block 24 which is made of metal, is formed at opposite sides. thereof with arcuate grooves 24a which are engaged by corresponding arcuate slide.- ways 60a formed on the underside of the plate 60. The block 24 is normally urged to a neutral position by the provision of a pin 24b which extends upwardly from the block '24 and engages between a pair of oppositely directed horizontal ,m ovable plungers 60b which are mounted diametrically within the plate and urged toward each other by springs 60s.. 7

In an alternative form for the mounting of a modified metal block 24d at the foot of the jack 6, the facility for fore and an tilting of this blockas shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is insured by supporting the block through a modified plate We and the intermediary of a block 60d of rubberlike resilient material, and we suitable provision for constraining the block 60d to yield appreciably in fore and aft directions only, that is, not torsionally or laterally. The block 60d may be described as a connector made of still but yieldable material secured to and interposed between the support plate or pressor member 60c and the block 24d. The block 24d is constrained to shift in fore and aft directions only by the interengagement of extensions or lugs 60] of the plate 60a with upstanding posts 24e of the block 24d.

The illustrative machine is provided also With a stop member 124 against a forwardly extending end portion 124a of which the back of the heel end portion of the shoe on the last is brought to bear when the jack is in its operative position. The stop mcrnber'124 is mountedin the machine in a suitable manner so as to be capable of being adjustable forward and rearwardly inthe machine and also in different positions heightwise of the machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a heel attaching machine, a jack swingable between a loading and unloading position on the one hand and an operating position on the other hand, said jack having a spindle adapted to be received in a thimble hole of said last and having an abutment surfacefor receiving a positioning plate provided with a face forming a top face of the back cone of the last, said jack having lugs adapted to cooperate with the positioning plate to orient thelast on the jack with said top face in engagement withthe abutment surface of the last, and means responsive to swinging movement of the jack from its loading and unloading position to its operating position for securing the last. against movement onihe jack. A

2. In a heel attaching machine, a holddown ja k coni- 9 prising an abutment adapted to bear against an upper face of a back cone of a last, and a pair of clamps which are movable with and with relation to the abutment and which are movable independently of each other, and power actuated means for operating the jack to force the abutment against said upper face of the back cone of the last, said jack comprising fluid pressure means responsive to the operation of said power actuated means for causing the clamps to apply pressure against the sides respectively of said back cone as said abutment bears against said upper face of the back cone of the last.

3. In a holddown jack for use in the heeling of shoes, a plunger, fluid pressure means for moving the plunger in one direction, a floating head slidingly mounted on the plunger, an abutment secured to said head and a pair of clamps which are carried by and are are movable independently in said head, resilient means for constantly urging the clamps in predetermined directions on said head, resilient means for constantly urging the head to a projected position in said one direction on said plunger, and fluid pressure means responsive to movement of said first-named fluid pressure means for moving the plunger and the head as a unit and for moving the clamps independently of one another on said head to force the clamps into engagement with opposite sides of the back cone of the last.

4. In a heel attaching machine, a jack for support-ing a shoe, which is mounted on a last, during the attachment of a heel to a heel seat of the shoe, said jack comprising an abutment adapted to be engaged by the top face of the back cone of the last, fluid pressure means for imparting movement to said jack and accordingly to said abutment, a pair of members which are movable with and relatively to said abutment, and fluid pressure means operative in timed relation with said first-named fluid pressure means for moving said members against opposite sides of the back cone of the last to assist said abutment in the supporting of the last against pressure.

5. A jack for supporting a last bearing a shoe, said jack comprising a plunger, a head yieldingly mounted on said plunger and forming a cavity with the plunger, means for moving the plunger and accordingly the head in a rectilinear path, said head comprising an abutment adapted to be engaged by the top face of a back cone of the last and a pair of clamps which are slidingly mounted in said head and are open to said cavity, and means for delivering fluid under pressure to the cavity during movement of the plunger to cause the clamps to be forced against opposite sides of the back cone of the last whereby to assist the abutment in the supporting of said last.

6. In a machine for use in the attachment of a heel to a shoe which is mounted on a last, a carrier for one or more work pieces which are to be attached to a heel seat of the shoe, a jack for receiving said last, said jack comprising an abutment adapted to be engaged by an upper face of a backcone of the last, means for orienting the last upon the abutment, means for securing the oriented last to said abutment, means for moving the jack together with said abutment in one direction toward the carrier to cause the heel seat of the shoe to be forced against said carrier, said jack also comprising a pair of clamps which are movable with and with relation to the abutment, and means operative in timed relation with said abutment for forcing the clamps against opposite sides of the back cone of the last as the jack forces the heel seat of the shoe against said carrier.

7. In a heel attaching machine, a jack comprising a plunger, a head carried by said plunger, said head comprising an abutment adapted to be engaged by the top face of a back cone of a last which ha a shoe mounted on it, and having slidingly mounted in it a pair of clamps adapted to engage the sides of the counter portion of the shoe, a support for a shoe part, fluid pressure means for moving the plunger toward said support to cause the last 10 to be clamped under heightwise pressure preparatory to attaching said shoe part to the heel seat of the shoe, and fluid pressure means responsive to movement of said first-named fluid pressure means for causing the clamps to be forced against the opposite sides of the counter port-ion of the shoe.

8. In a heal attaching machine, a jack comprising a plunger, a head carried by said plunger, said head comprising an abutment adapted to be engaged by the top face of the back cone of a last, which has a shoe mounted on it, and having slidingly mounted on it a pair of clamps adapted to engage the sides of the counter portion of the shoe, a support for a shoe part, fluid pressure means for moving the plunger toward said support to cause the last to be clamped under heightwise pressure preparatory to attaching the shoe part to the heel seat of the shoe, fluid pressure means responsive to movement of said first-named fluid pressure means for causing the clamps to be forced against the opposite sides of the counter portion of the shoe, and means for sealing fluid in said last-named fluid pressure means to cause said head and said clamps to operate substantially as a unit in response to movement of the plunger, said support being movable under high pressure toward said head causing the pressure of the fluid in said last-named fluid pressure means to be increased.

9. In a heel attaching machine, a support for a heel, a plunger, a head yieldingly mounted on the plunger and forming a cavity therewith, means comprising a spring for normally maintaining said head in a predetermined position on the plunger, a pair of clamps which are slidingly mounted in the head and have faces open to the cavity, said head being adapted to support a last and comprising an abutment adapted to be engaged by the top face of the back cone of said last, and fluid pressure means for moving the plunger in one direction to force the shoe against the heel and for simultaneously therewith rendering fluid under pressure available for the cavity and for causing the clamps to move relatively to the abutment causing them to be forced against opposite sides of the back cone of the last.

10. In a machine for operating upon the heel seat of a shoe mounted on a last, a jack, means cooperating with said jack to attach one or more shoe parts to the heel seat of the shoe, said jack being adapted to receive the last and to press and hold it against the action of said means and comprisingan abutment adapted to be engaged by the top face of the back cone of the last and a pair of clamps which are movable with relation to said abutment and are adapted to engage the sides of said back cone, and fluid pressure means associated with said jack for maintaining a substantially constant ratio of pressures between said top face and said abutment on the one hand and the clamps and the sides of the back cone on the other hand during the attachment of said one or more shoe parts to the heel seat of the shoe.

11. In a machine for operating upon the heel seat of a shoe which is mounted on a last, a nailing die, a jack arranged over said die and comprising a plunger, a float ing head mounted on said plunger and forming a cavity therewith, means including a spring for maintaining the head in a normal position on the plunger, said head comprising an abutment which is adapted to be engaged by the top face of a back cone of a last bearing a shoe, a pair of clamps slidingly mounted in the head, and passages connecting said cavity and said clamps, fluid pressure means for moving the plunger and accordingly the head in one direction heightwise of the last positioned on the jack whereby to force the heel seat of the shoe against the nailing die,- means operative simultaneously with said means for supplying fluid under pressure to the cavity and accordingly to the clamps whereby to niove the clamps against the sides of the back cone of the last as the heel seat of the shoe is forced against the them with additional pressure against the sides of the 7 back coneof the last, and means for driving fastenings resting in the nailing die into the heel seat of the shoe.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED sTATEs PATENTS Pettengill Dec, 28,- 1897 Pope r Oct. '24, I916 Gouldbourn July 6, 1937 Willmott Dec. 3,v 1940 Karnborian Feb. 5, 1946 Lancaster Dec. 25, 195 1 Walsh Jan. 17, 1-956 

